


Uncle Knows Best

by Steed73



Category: To the Manor Born
Genre: Angst, F/M, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:08:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25105222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steed73/pseuds/Steed73
Summary: Greville decides to bring Richard and Audrey together after he saves Richard’s business.
Relationships: Richard DeVere/Audrey fforbes-Hamilton
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Greville Hartley parked his car and walked up to the lodge door, he knew this was a risky strategy he was employing but he felt it worth it to ensure his nieces happiness.

Even though DeVere hadn’t said a word to contradict Audrey’s assertion that they were engaged to be married, Greville knew that wasn’t the case.

He’d seen the shocked look in DeVere’s eyes when he’d told him what Audrey had said. The fact that Richard hadn’t landed her in it with him made him like the man even more. He was a vast improvement on Marton fForbes Hamilton and much more suited to Audrey.

So he decided to move the pair of them in the right direction, the first step was getting Audrey to admit her feelings for DeVere.

Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door. It was swiftly opened by a smiling Audrey.

“Uncle Greville! This is a surprise, what are you doing here?” Audrey ushered him inside and showed him into the sitting room.

“Well I was in the area, so I thought I’d come and see how the wedding planning was coming along,” Greville said taking a seat on the settee.

The smile fell from Audrey’s face at that. Oh how she wished she was planning her wedding to Richard but that seemed incredibly unlikely to happen, “How lovely.” She murmured.

The sadness that came over his nieces face made Greville’s heart clench. “Audrey I know you and DeVere are not engaged, I’m not easily deceived you know,”

Audrey dropped into the chair opposite Greville, “I’m sorry uncle Greville, I know I shouldn’t have misled you but I wanted to help Richard,” she said tearfully.

“I understand my dear and there’s no harm done. DeVere is a good chap, I quite like him but I think you like him more,” Greville said trying to get her to open up to him.

Audrey nodded, seeing no point in deceiving her uncle once more and it would be nice to talk to someone about Richard, someone other than Marjory.

Outside Richard and his mother were walking past the lodge when Richard heard voices coming from inside. It sounded like a mans voice and Richard tried to dampen down the wave of jealousy that rose in him at the thought of another man with Audrey.

Mrs Poo sensed her son’s unease and pulled him towards the lodges open patio doors.

“Mother what are you doing!” He whispered.

“I’m making sure Audrey is alright, now be quiet and listen,” she said putting her finger to her lips as they reached the doors.

They were hidden from view by the curtain but could hear quite clearly. The jealousy Richard felt vanished when he recognised the voice of Greville Hartley coming from inside.

He was about to tell his mother they should go when he heard his name mentioned and intrigued, he stayed to listen.

Gravel leaned forward, “May I ask what your feelings are towards DeVere?”

Audrey shrugged her shoulders, “It doesn’t matter how I feel about him, marriage is not an option for us, not in my position. I have no money of my own and he would always believe I’d only married him to get Grantleigh back.”

“But don’t you want it back?”

She shook her head, “Of course I do but not at the expense of Richard’s heart, I couldn’t bare it,”

Greville noticed movement by the patio door, looking at the reflection in the glass he saw it was DeVere. He hadn’t planned on this but it was a stroke of luck he was there, now he just had to get Audrey to say it out loud.

He smiled at his niece, “You love him don’t you?”

She nodded, “He is the sweetest, kindest man I’ve ever known. Yes I love him,”

Greville grinned knowing DeVere had heard, he just had to give the boy the opening he needed to make his presence noticed.

“Does Richard know how you feel about him?” He asked

Before she could answer Richard walked through the open patio doors, “He does now,” Richard said standing right behind her chair,

Audrey jumped up from the chair and turned to find Richard standing there, “Richard! How long have you been here?” She asked anxiously.

“Long enough,” he said approaching her.

Richard didn’t give her a chance to say anything else as he took her face in his hands and crushed his lips to hers.

Shocked, Audrey took a moment to respond to his kiss but she soon came to her senses and kissed him back hungrily.

When he was sure she wasn’t going to pull away, Richard moved his hands from her face to her waist bringing her flush against him.

Audrey wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss completely forgetting they weren’t alone.

Greville smiled at the couple and then noticed an elderly woman standing by the patio doors, a huge smile on her face.

“You must be Mr Polouvicka,” Greville said moving around the still embracing couple to Richard’s mother. Holding his hand out he introduced himself, “I’m Greville Hartley, Audrey’s Uncle,”

Mrs Poo took his hand and shook it warmly, “It’s so nice to meet you Mr Hartley, I must thank you for helping Bedrich, he was so grateful to you,”

Greville waved his hand in the air, “Oh it was a pleasure, you son is a fine young man and please call me Greville,”

“And you must call me Maria,” Mrs Poo nodded to Richard and Audrey who were still locked in a passionate embrace, “Shall we leave these two alone, I know Bedrich has a very nice Brandy back at the manor I think you’d like,”

“An offer no gentleman can refuse, lead on dear lady,”


	2. Chapter 2

Finally the need for air became necessary and Richard ended the kiss but he stayed close, his forehead resting on Audrey’s, both of the chests heaving as they took in much needed gulps of air.

“I love you too by the way,” Richard smiled

“That’s good,” Audrey chuckled

A seriousness came over Richard’s face, “We’ll have to go to London next week,” he said determinately.

Audrey lent back, “What! why?”

“So you can choose your engagement ring of course,”

“Richard, I don’t want to be picky or anything but you haven’t even asked me to marry you,” she said amused.

Richard looked surprised for a second, “Haven’t I? God I’m sorry. Let’s put that right.”

With that he stepped back from her and took both her hands in his.

“Audrey, I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. I love the way you take on a project with such caring and strength. I love how passionate you are about the things that are important to you. I love you with all my heart.”

“Richard,” she whispered blushing at his words.

“Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”

Audrey nodded enthusiastically, “Yes of course I’ll marry you,” she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

Then all of a sudden Audrey remembered Uncle Greville and Richard’s mother were there. Her head whipped round to the settee expecting to see them but there was no one there.

Realising what she was thinking Richard smiled, “My mother and your Uncle left a while ago, they are probably at the Manor right now going through my best brandy,”

“That does sound like Uncle Greville,” Audrey chuckled

“Do you think they’d be worried if we stayed here for a little while longer?” He asked as she played with the lapels of his jacket.

“I shouldn’t think so, why?”

“Because, I’d like to take you upstairs and make love to you,”

Audrey grinned, dropping her hands from his jacket she extricated herself from his embrace and took his hand, leading him out of the sitting room and up the stairs.

“What about Brabinger?” Richard asked worriedly.

“It’s his day off, he won’t be back for hours,” Audrey grinned

An hour later they were laying in bed after a very satisfying hour of love making. After an initial shyness and anxiousness they had found themselves become attuned to the other.

So much so that when Richard had finally eased inside her, she didn’t have to tell him what she liked instead he seemed to know exactly when she needed him to increase his pace and where to touch her to give her the most pleasure.

When nearing his release he had began to pull out of her, she told him to stay, that she wanted to have his children. Richard’s hips had involuntary thrusted harder against her, aroused by her words. She had wrapped her legs around his waist and held him inside as he reached his peak.

“We had better get up, we have to see your mother and Uncle Greville,” Audrey sighed.

“Not even married yet and your telling me what to do,” Richard said with mock indignation.

Audrey laughed, “Darling, I’ve been telling you what to do for three years,”

When they walked into the sitting room of the Manor they found Uncle Greville, glass in hand laughing with Mrs Poo. Both of them seemed to have consumed a considerable amount of Richard’s finest brandy.

Picking up the nearly empty bottle Richard looked at his mother, “I think you’ve been to generous with the brandy mother,”

“Nonsense Bedrich, I am being a good hostess,” she hiccuped.

“A very good hostess, besides at our age a little tipple in the afternoon is essential,” Greville defended.

“However time is getting on and I should book into a hotel for the night,” Greville said getting to his feet unsteadily.

“You’re very welcome to stay here Sir,” Richard said taking the older mans arm to steady him.

“That’s very kind of you, and Richard please don’t call me Sir. Makes me feel like I’m back in the RAF. I think it’s about time you called me Greville, you are after all soon to be my nephew in law.”

“You have asked her haven’t you Bedrich?” Mrs Poo asked concerned.

Before Richard could open his mouth Audrey had answered for him, “He has and I said yes,”

“Didn’t I always say Audrey was the girl for you, you should listen to your mother,” Mrs Poo said wagging her finger at her son.

“Yes Mother


End file.
